What would it do that a -60 can’t do?A reminder of what could have been! 😪
P.S. This is ‘Merica, love to see it:
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Hot new helicopter/rotorcraft news
- Thread starter Randy Daytona
- Start date
P.S. This is ‘Merica, love to see it:
That front seat could have been used for an NFO…imagine that!
From top to bottom: fuck, marry, killA reminder of what could have been! 😪
But really, what would it do that a -60 can’t?
hlg6016
A/C Wings Here
Kind of an attack version of the SH-2
I believe that was the concept (the "Sea Apache" never got beyond concept and a presentation at NHA + article in Proceedings) - just like when the SH-60B LAMPS MK III system was initially developed - the plan was for a NFO TACCO to occupy the left seat.
Were they prone to getting shot down? All I can find is that the Iraqi military has been taking delivery of them from the U.S.
Now? Probably not a lot, other than maybe survivability enhancements. But back then, the SH-60B needed the Block 1 Upgrade in order to be a shooter and the -60H didn't have all the sensors for OTH targeting that the Bravo had. The Block 0s didn't even have Penguin capability, if I'm remembering correctly, since it didn't have a LHEP.
I'm sure the Block 1s were SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper to buy than a whole new "Sea Apache."
Having been around the Pentagon a bunch, the real savings to me is in having a more streamlined supply chain for parts, fewer MX personnel, and simpler training for aircrew and support. Way easier to put Hellfires on a -60 than to acquire, operate, and maintain a whole ‘nother airframe at sea where space is at a premium. Heck, with a data link back to the ship, you could probably slap a AN/APG-78 Longbow dome on a -60 (or a Firescout) and have a pod of ship-launched SSMs that can rely on that for OTH targeting.
Just curious, why? The loss rate of the Kiowa was not significantly higher than any other helicopter deployed (AH-64’s suffered more, but OH-58’s flew more missions).
What’s the criticism?
Their availability was outstanding—90%+.
Army scout aircraft have always been light singles going back to Vietnam.
We have a couple of HH-60W helos on base today giving orientation and incentive flights to civilian employees. The Program Office for this weapon system is here, and a fairly large footprint of folks are employed here supporting that program.
The weather is unfortunately only 200 and 1/2 right now, so the flights are consisting of taxiing from base ops to the taxiway and air taxi around the runway environment. Still pretty cool
The weather is unfortunately only 200 and 1/2 right now, so the flights are consisting of taxiing from base ops to the taxiway and air taxi around the runway environment. Still pretty cool
My friend's husband is in a wheelchair after getting shot down in one in AFG. I guess he's the lucky one, his copilot died.
The 58 didn't have the survivability design features of the -60/64/Cobra/Twin Huey. The -60 and -64 were literally designed around the failures of the original Huey, and instead, we took was is effectively a light Huey and pressed it into a gunship role. They were easy ambush targets and a few lucky AK/DSkA could bring them down. It was designed to operate in European forests scouting Motor Rifle Brigades for Apaches, not what it was pressed into service doing.
I think we're saying the same basic thing. A point of order, though...there aren't fewer Mx personnel because we went with the -60. It would be the same Mx personnel working on a Sea Apache or a -60 (or a hybrid det). At the end of the day, there's only so many racks on the ship.
Or, say, put another, much more capable radar on a -60 and call it a Bravo or Romeo, which has been doing OTH targeting via datalink since the '80's.